https://www.linkedin.com/in/lane-alves-5894241b0/Erlane has built a trajectory of impact that spans from northern to southern Brazil, becoming the first person in her maternal family to enter higher education. Born in Aurora do Pará, she holds a Law degree from the Federal University of Pelotas, a Master’s degree in Criminal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Administration at PUCRS. Throughout this academic journey, she has used research to support the importance of socially impactful technological projects: (1) Cosmos: Network for Access to Justice and University Extension, which fosters the connection between universities and society; and (2) GID: Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity, which develops a support network focused on the LGBTQIAPN+ community. Cosmos has received the following recognitions: Award-winning Master’s Dissertation in the Quality Education category at the ODS Summit RS 2024; Distinguished Dissertation of the Graduate Program in Criminal Sciences at PUCRS; Publication in a book by Tirant lo Blanch (expected in the second half of 2025). GID was recognized as: Featured Project of the 17th Idear Entrepreneurship Tournament; Highlighted Project at Experimental Software Engineering Agency; 2nd place in the PUCRS Hangar Program; Selected to participate in the Web Summit Rio 2024. The project was also chosen for the 13th Campus Mobile program, based at the University of São Paulo (USP). As a result of this progress, Erlane was awarded the 2024 Young Highlighted Trophy by PUCRS, considered the best private university in Brazil. Her work has gained such prominence that she was invited to speak at the United Nations headquarters during the International Youth Conference, where she presented strategies to democratize access to education and technology for all.
Finalist
Engaged Academic of the Year Award
Erlane Alves dos Santos
Finalist Engaged Academic of the Year Award
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil
"Be the change!"
Engage on social media
https://www.instagram.com/ms.lanealves(Lane Alves)
Have a say and vote for this entry to win the People's Choice Award!
500 points per vote
Provide your email address and click on "vote". You will then receive an email that enables you to verify your vote by clicking on a link.
1500 points per tweet. 1000 points per retweet. 250 points for a like.
Support this entry by engaging with it on Twitter. Tweet or retweet using the following two hashtags to support this entry (use both hashtags in the same Tweet). Also, if you "like" an existing Tweet with these hashtags, the entry gets points.
#ACEEU_Awards
#2025Entry1059
Summary
Key People
Dr Clarice Beatriz Da Costa Söhngen
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Criminal Sciences
Law school,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr Nereu Jose Giacomolli
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Criminal Sciences
Law school,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr Bruno Rotta Aumeida
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Law and the Graduate Program in History
Law school,
Federal University of Pelotas
Dr Bárbara Sordi Stock
Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology
University of Seville
Dr Karinne Emanoela Goettems dos Santos
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Law
Law school,
Federal University of Pelotas
Dr Rodrigo Ghiringhelli de Azevedo
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Criminal Sciences
Law school,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr Ana Clara Corrêa Henning
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Law
Law school,
Federal University of Pelotas
Dr Maira de Cassia Petrini
Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Administration
Business School,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr. Silvia Trein Heimfarth Dapper
Professor in the Undergraduate Program in Design
School of Communication, Arts and Design – Famecos,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr Fernanda Bestetti de Vasconcellos
Graduate Program in Citizen Security
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Dr Cristina Paiva da Silveira Carvalho
Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Federal University of Ceará and Vice Director of the Science Center
Federal University of Ceará
Dr Thalles Barbosa Grangeiro
Professor in the Undergraduate Programs of Biotechnology, Agronomy and Biological Sciences
Department of Biology, Center of Sciences,
Federal University of Ceará
Kael Sieben dos Santos
Systems Analyst and Information Security Specialist
GID: Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity
Celso Luiz Moresco
Professor in the Graduate Program in Law
Federal University of Pelotas
Raquel Silveira Rita Dias
Educational Affairs Technician
Pro-Rectory for Extension and Culture,
Federal University of Pelotas
Flávia Fiorin
Executive Manager
Tecnopuc,
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul
Ana Carolina Nogueira
Educational Administrative Technician
Pro-Rectory for Extension and Culture,
Federal University of Pelotas
Adriana Valderez Bitsck Rodrigues
Public Defender in Pelotas
Public Defender's Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments to the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Tecnopuc, the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Research Support Foundation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS), the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rio Grande do Sul, the Public Defender’s Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (DPE), Sebrae, and the Federal Government of Brazil—through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Images
Hangar Program's award at PUCRS for GID (Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity) platform.
Achievement of the 2024 Young Alumni Award, granted to an individual aged 30 or under who, having completed at least one program at PUCRS, stood out among all university students for the impact of their academic and professional journey.
AGES Outstanding Project Award at the 17th Idear Entrepreneurship Tournament.
Development team of the Cosmos platform: a network for access to justice and university extension.
Research Group on Sustainability and Impact Business.
Impact League of the PUCRS Business School.
Partnership established with PUCRS's Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Entrepreneurship and Innovation – IDEAR, with national television coverage. During the activity, Professor Naira Liberman presented strategies to identify and develop entrepreneurial capabilities.
Team responsible for developing the GID (Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity) platform. The award marked a significant milestone, as the project stood out among initiatives created for Rede Globo, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, and a project recognized by Stanford University.
University extension activity promoted by the UFPEL Social Forum, in which it was delivered 2,000 liters of hand sanitizer to vulnerable groups during the Covid-19 pandemic, helping them to continue their activities safely.
Activity of teaching, research, and extension Libertas' project in the community of Pelotas, RS. During the initiative, the group promoted access to justice and art, looking forward the empowerment of people in vulnerable situations.
GID’s participation in Web Summit Rio 2024, earned as a prize for winning the PUCRS Hangar Program 2023.
Presentation of the lecture 'University Extension: How Collaborative Actions Can Save the World' at the Federal University of Pelotas.
Recording of the album Ad Astra per Aspera, available on all music platforms under the pseudonym "Jurista Pós-moderna". The academic is a singer and songwriter, using her art to translate deep reflections on social issues into messages of hope and resilience.
Meeting of the GESEG research group: Integrated Public Security Management with a focus on Literature, Art, and Diversity.
Meeting of GPESC: Research Group on Public Security Policies and Criminal Justice Administration.
International lecture on the topic 'Gender and Criminal Sciences,' delivered by Prof. Dr. Bárbara Sordi Stock, Professor of Criminal Law and Criminology at the University of Seville.
Participation as a member of the National League of Biotechnology Scholars, during which the student contributed to the drafting and proposal of Bill No. 3747/2015, concerning the professional practice of biotechnologists in Brazil. At that time, she facilitated coordination among all biotechnology programs across the country.
Participation in the SDGs Movement in the state of Rio Grande do Sul as Project and Resources Coordinator. The main goal of the SDGs Movement is to mobilize, engage, and connect different sectors of society in Rio Grande do Sul — including governments, businesses, civil society organizations, universities and citizens — around the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
IMPACT STORY
Impacting lifes
Erlane found in education a powerful tool for transforming both her own life and society. Despite the precarious conditions of public basic education in large part of Brazil - including the reality in which she was immersed -, she studied Biotechnology for two years at the Federal University of Ceará, but it was in Law, at the Federal University of Pelotas, that she completed the foundational training for her strategies in the Applied Social Sciences. The intersection of knowledge from such distinct fields sparked insights into the human capacity to transform reality through the practical application of science, guided by ethical principles and critical reflection.
She observed that Biotechnology seeks to understand and solve problems through nature-based solutions, while Law does so through a network of institutions responsible for creating and enforcing legal norms — although it often operates under a logic of control and punishment. Based on these learnings, her particular interest came to reside in efforts to address the root causes of social issues, especially those that lead to crime. Having witnessed the co-optation of socioeconomically vulnerable members of her family by criminal organizations, she found in education an opportunity to explore this issue more deeply during her Master's in Criminal Sciences, aiming to understand it beyond common-sense narratives.
Earning a place at the best private university in Brazil, she was welcomed into an innovation ecosystem rich with key connections to help implement her strategies for a more just world. From this fertile ground, two connection-focused technologies were born, both aimed at democratizing the right of access to justice—the right that enables the exercise of all other rights. She is currently researching ways to enhance the impact of innovation ecosystems in the field of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
LEARNINGS
Lessons learned
Her main tips for anyone who wants to follow a path of impact are:
Don’t be afraid to be yourself—but first, get to know yourself.
In the current global order, there is a strong tendency to prioritize individual interests over collective rights. This logic carries a double flaw: First, no one exists or builds anything alone. There will always be a network of direct or indirect contributors to your survival on this planet. Second, every human being is in a constant process of self-development, as our brains are always forming new synapses and learning new things—whether beneficial or not. That’s why therapy can be so important: to help you understand who you are and what you truly want. This will determine the impact your actions will have on the world.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and allow yourself to learn from them.
The same logic that overly individualizes can also imprison us—especially through comparison. Feelings of shame, often tied to a sense of inadequacy after a mistake, can create the false impression that we don’t belong. This is the inner child in us constantly seeking approval—it’s the brain searching for reward. However, acknowledging our mistakes is the first step toward learning from them, as it makes them visible and open to questioning, reflection, and growth.
Go beyond the status quo.
Changing the course of the planet may seem difficult, but the power of united individual and collective efforts is incredibly strong. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with people and environments that share this vision: that addressing global crises — especially the climate and humanitarian crises — requires the creation of new paradigms that are more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable. In light of this, be the change you wish to see in the world!
FUTURE PLANS
What's coming?
The future of her initiatives is directly linked to the strengthening of collaborative networks dedicated to social justice, diversity and innovation. The Cosmos platform - currently supported by Sebrae through a partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation - is nearing the end of its development phase and will soon begin nationwide scaling, connecting university extension projects with communities across the country. This expansion includes planned partnerships with governments and universities, as well as the implementation of a sustainable monetization model. Efforts are also underway to expand Cosmos beyond the legal field, incorporating areas such as psychology, social work, and healthcare services.
The GID (Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity) project is set to evolve into an incubator for technological solutions aimed at the LGBTQIAPN+ community, with a focus on health, employability and education. Strategic initiatives are also planned to foster intersectional innovations, with particular attention to Black populations, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and other underrepresented groups.
Academically, she continues to advance her doctoral research in Administration, which focuses on developing an inclusive and replicable framework capable of amplifying the impact of innovation ecosystems in reducing social inequalities. This research aims to provide a practical guide for organizations seeking to transform their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.
On the international stage, she plans to scale these platforms and establish partnerships with universities and innovation hubs across all continents, fostering knowledge exchange and democratizing access to education, technology and justice.
